Top Ten Popular Authors I've Never Read

Hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

I know. I know. And I call myself a book blogger. Some day? I own a copy of The Fault In Our Stars, but I'm completely terrified of it. Mayhaps before the movie comes out.

I have a signed copy of her latest, The Moon and More, yet for some reason it just never called to me. None of Sarah's books have, and I'm not sure why. They were super popular all through my teen years, but... Eh. I don't know. SOME DAY.

I am DETERMINED to read her books this year. I just know I'll adore them and that her words are gorgeous and unique and romantic and IT'S HAPPENING. It is soooo happening.

I know. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry.

I've sworn to start reading the Lumatere Chronicles as soon as possible. I've been told the ships are epic, and, well, that's the magic word for me.

She's written like a million books and I have read zero of them, but I own a few of her hot alien books, so maybe someday. I'm more curious about her Covenant series, though, so I may start there if I ever do start.

Actually, by the time this post posts, number 7 will no longer be accurate, since I'll have finished Panic by this point. But as of the time I made this graphic, I have not read any Lauren Oliver.

Verse + issue books = not Gillian's cup of coffee, but one day I might change my mind.

I'm actually very interested in her books, though I'm not sure where to start. The ones with the fey people and iron and love triangles? The vampire ones? Should I wait for the dragons? I do like dragons.

I'm only hurting myself, at this point. These sound like so much fun and the covers are adorbs.

I know so very little about her Mara Dyer series, but so many others are totally obsessed with it, so I'm planning on hopping on the bandwagon someday.

Honorable mentions: Ransom Riggs, James Dashner, Colleen Hoover, Beth Revis, Courtney Summers, Patrick Ness.

Review: Ask Again Later by Liz Czukas

Review: Ask Again Later by Liz Czukas
Goodreads 
Release date: March 11th, 2014
Publisher: HarperTeen
Series: No
Source: e-ARC
Adorably, swoony, witty fun! Fluff reading at its best.



Despite what her name might suggest, Heart has zero interest in complicated romance. So when her brilliant plan to go to prom with a group of friends is disrupted by two surprise invites, Heart knows there's only one drama-free solution: flip a coin.

Heads: The jock. He might spend all night staring at his ex or throw up in the limo, but how bad can her brother's best friend really be?

Tails: The theater geek...with a secret. What could be better than a guy who shares all Heart's interests--even if he wants to share all his feelings?

Heart's simple coin flip has somehow given her the chance to live out both dates. But where her prom night ends up might be the most surprising thing of all...


Oh, this book was JUST what the doctor ordered. After a string of alternately grim and/or disappointing reads, I really needed to cleanse my readerly palate with something fresh and adorable that would make me giggle. Ask Again Later had all that an more, because I didn't merely giggle--I chokelaughed. And it wasn't just adorable--it was painfully, cuter-than-puppies adorable.

I want to hug this book.

This book is a little like Pivot Point minus most of the paranormal elements and the part where Kasie West decides to crush your ship soul same thing. Heart is a poorly named and brilliant realized teenage girl desperate to avoid any kind of prom date drama. She does what any reasonable high school girl would do, and agrees to go with her group of friends. Until two, stupid not-romantic-options boys with their stupid life-ruining ways decide to ask her to prom, and Heart decides to flip a coin and let fate take the reins. Also she can't make a decision to save her life, which is a trait I can relate to. Also romance is scary and should be avoided when your only romantic options are teenage boys. Heart, girl, I feel you.

From then on we get a kind of Sliding Doors divergent narrative. Heads she picks one date, tails she picks another, and we get to see the repercussions of both flips play out. The narrative is split between the two prom nights, and obviously both lead to dancing and kissing and wardrobe malfunctions and being locked in the trunk of a car. Normal teenage stuff.

So how does the shipping in this (completely love triangle free) book play out?

Heart: Banter banter snark snark.

Adorable love interest: Snark snark banter banter.

Heart: BANTER SNARK.

Adorable love interest, pining deeply: I banter to hide my overwhelming boy feelings.

Heart: I banter because banter also what's that about feelings?

A.L.I.: Oh. Um. I feel--I feel-- BANTER. SNARK. TEASE.

Me: Now kisssss.

Heart: Banter banter banter--

Me: No, seriously, kiss.

 

Plot: *intervenes*

Me: KISSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!

Shenanigans: *ensue*

OBEY, HALLUCINATORY PEOPLE.

There are puns, funny adorable nicknames, a ship, awesome friends, a No Drama Prom-a Crew, family jeopardy, and all sorts of prom-related disasters that I, who had a rather disastrous prom night herself, can fully relate to. Plus Heart, our narrator, is just hysterical. Christina pointed out in her review that your enjoyment of this book may be dependant on your enjoyment of Heart's voice and personality, and she's right. It never occured to me that people could dislike her, since I loved her so totally, but I can see how her brand of humor might not be the same as other people's.

But it was most certainly mine. She had me at page one, and the love interest had me at page three, aka the first time he calls her Spleen instead of Heart because he's FUNNY AND IT'S CUTE, OKAY? This is what dreams are made of, you guys. (PSA to my future currently non-existant husband: you'd better make some puns on my last name if you want to put a ring on this.) So, yeah. Have fun suffering the slow burn! The love interest made my heart melt and also my Heart melt. See what I did there? I'm almost as funny as Schroeder.



The story also resolves itself in both an adorable way AND an interesting, not-so-clear-cut way. This is the sort of book I'll certainly be rereading when my spirits need a little lifting, and I can't wait to buy a hard copy when it releases  next week!

Book Haul, or the One in Which the End Times Arrive

It's true. The End Times really are coming. And no, it's not the end of the world, but a really cool-looking book that showed up on my doorstep in some fancy pants packaging.

For review from Penguin:

End Times by Anna Schumacher

Well, this certainly sounds nifty. Plus it came with one of those "letters from the editor, you hold in your hands the pivotal seventh novel of blah blah" notes that lets you know this book is Supah Important. Also it came with those crinkly black paper packing strings that I'm sure have a name and a packet of post cards and some blurbs from Very Important Authory People. So I'm excited for this one.

Purchased:



 Landry Park by Bethany Hagen

Apparently I pre-ordered this? Happy surprise book arrival to me! The cover is velvety soft. I recommend finding it in your nearest bookstore and petting it like a creeper.

ETA: Just realized I forgot to add my weekly recap, aka my weekap. OOPS. Well, here's what you missed last week on the blog:

I raved about The Unbound by Victoria Schwab

I listed some books I'd like to see as movies or TV shows AND made posters for them

I reviewed The Winner's Curse by Marie Rutkoski

I reviewed fangirled over the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series.

Series Review: Percy Jackson and the Olympians by Rick Riordan

Review: Percy Jackson and the Olympians by Rick Riordan
Goodreads 
Release date: March 21, 2006--May 12th, 2009
Publisher: Disney Hyperion
Series: Duh
Source: Purchased
Rating: My new obsession.




Be warned: this is probably the least intellectual review I've ever done. Here be fangirling, giffery, and keyboard-smashing.

Real talk: Before I read this series, I used to think Percy Jackson was sort of a Harry Potter rip-off. Now that I've read this series, I want to punch my past hipster self in the face.

To say I was engrossed in the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series would be the understatement of my life. This series was, in fact, the binge-read of the century for me. I ate, drank, and slept this series. It consumed my every thought. I swear I was actually physically in the world of Percy and Camp Half-Blood and all the rest of them.

 

All I wanted to do for a week was read these books, and so I did. I read all five books in less than a week, and I had the best time. So good a time, really, that it's all a blur of

 

and

 

and then at the end of each installment a strong feeling of



Quick series concept overview for those who have no clue what these books are about:
Percy Jackson is a twelve-year-old troublemaker about to be kicked out of his millionth school when one day his math teacher turns into a harpy and tries to kill him. This very subtle sign clues him in to the fact that he's no ordinary boy--oh no. He is the son of a Greek God, and for reasons which you should just go with, Olympus and its denizens reside in New York City, and their children, demigods and heroes, train and sometimes live and play capture the flag in a place called Camp Half-Blood, which is a thousand times cooler than any camp you went to growing up. I promise you.

People try to kill Percy like literally all the time, and then he makes them more annoyed and they try to kill him even more, but Percy somehow always stays alive. He becomes best friends with a satyr named Grover and a brilliant daughter of Athena named Annabeth who is obviously his soul mate.

I'm not going to do full reviews for each book, and will instead review the series as a whole, but here are a few baby reviews for the individual novels:

The Lightning Thief

I'm not going to lie; it took me a few chapters to really get into the story, though I loved the character of Percy right off the bat (more about him below). A LOT of time is spent not telling Percy relevant information, like, oh, he's the son of a Greek God. Small things like that, and when he's already battled a minotaur and is at Camp Half-Blood, even (aka the training ground/summer camp for demigods). The plot was a little too episodic and questy for me, plus worldbuilding had some holes at this early stage, but they get filled later on. However, I still loved it. The updates on the Greek gods and myths were hilarious. And PERCY. And PERCY AND ANNABETH. Is it wrong to ship twelve-year-olds with the power of a million fiery suns? If so, I don't want to be right.

The Sea of Monsters

Things really pick up in this, the shortest book in the series (especially because there's a lot of Percabeth and this is obviously the most important thing). Grover becomes more fully realized as a character, plus TYSON the adorable cyclops!!! All the points for Tyson!

The Titan's Curse

 AND THIS IS WHERE THINGS GET AMAZING. AHHHHHHHHHH. Rick Riordan, I can't EVEN. The new characters in this book were amazing (Nico! Zoe! Rachel!), and the plot is gorgeous and heartbreaking (ANNABETHHHHH! Luke! SURPRISE DEATHS ALL AROUND!). The villain fully VILLAINIZES here. I was blown away by this book. I loved it so hard I can't even remember how to word right now.

The Battle of the Labyrinth

Full on flaily flails falls over can't deal epically epic battle cool myths Percabeth PERCABETH oh wait so cruel utter heartbreak much pain and yet I'm laughing why is everything so perfect gahhhhhhh



I CAN'T, PHOEBE. I'M SORRY. I'M TRYING.

The Last Olympian

Perfection in book form. The big final battle starts in, like, the first third of the novel and continues all the way through. It is epic and wonderful and there are casualties and secret heroes and surprise endings to prophecies which is what Rick Riordan does and there are ships and there's my feelings going splat all over the floor.



I really meant to be more cogent in my analysis of these books. I really did.

Why you should be reading this series if you already aren't:

PERCY

What a little sass he is. Percy is the coolest kid, but he's also such a dork. He is brave and loyal and sometimes incredibly dense (particularly where girls are involved--oh, and keeping his tongue in check), but he's quick on his feet and never passes up an opportunity to be highly insulting to immortal beings who want to kill him. How can you not love that? Through all five books, all the prophecies and monsters and rogue gods and evil Titans all have it out for our Percy, but me? I loved him fiercely.

PERCY AND ANNABETH

MY SHIP. Hello brand new OTP. Throughout the series, Percy and Annabeth become best friends. They trust each other beyond all others, and there's no one else they'd choose to have their backs. And they're so different, Percy being all devil-may-care and kind of dumb about things, and Annabeth's all analytical and well-informed and likes to roll her eyes and correct Percy. And they banter and fight. And there's the smallll issue of Annabeth being in love with this other guy, Luke, but there's no good portmanteau of Annabeth and Luke, so obviously it could never work.

Percy and Annabeth. They just... I feel like... I really...



My feeeeeeeeels

This series isn't perfect, but the amount it made me feel was. The flaws vanished due to the strength of my investment. I cared so much about these characters I felt a little crazy. Like, whenever I think about Percabeth I get this painful crunched-up feeling in my chest. And omg how will I survive the Heroes of Olympus series? (SPOIL THINGS FOR ME AND YOU DIE).

Oh, the hilarity

Percy's voice is hilarious. The way Riordan modernizes the myths is hilarious. Everything is hilarious. Overall, this reading experience is fun, in exactly the way MG (and eventually MG/YA crossover) should be. I was tickled pink and giggling. I felt like I was whatever age Percy was in each installment. And Riordan really does do some amazing things with his plots and, in particular, his prophecies. Each book contains a prophecy delivered by the Oracle of Delphi that helps shape the novel's events. Riordan puts an interesting twist on the idea of the chosen one and fate. The prophecies that frame every plot are always fulfilled differently than you'd expect. Some of the surprises totally blew my mind, and they way he makes everything fit together ultimately is EPIC.



This series isn't perfect. I still don't buy one or two world-building elements, and a lot of the background characters (campers in particular) are names on the page for the first couple of books. But feeeeeels. Obsession. The flaws didn't even register, really, because I was totally, one hundred percent sold.

Well done, Rick Riordan. You've turned me into a... Percophile? A Camp Half-Blooder? A demigod? Whatever, I'm still a newbie. Your series is glorious. You deserve some Justin Finch-Fletchley slow clapping, so here you go. You've earned it, dude.

Review: The Winner's Curse by Marie Rutkoski

Review: The Winner's Curse by Marie Rutkoski
Goodreads 
Release date: March 4th, 2014
Publisher: Farrar Strauss Giroux (Macmillan)
Series: #1 in The Winner's Trilogy
Source: Early unbound manuscript
Length: 355 pages
Rating: Everything could not be more perfect... except for that one thing. (And it is most definitely NOT the cover)



 Winning what you want may cost you everything you love

As a general’s daughter in a vast empire that revels in war and enslaves those it conquers, seventeen-year-old Kestrel has two choices: she can join the military or get married. But Kestrel has other intentions.

One day, she is startled to find a kindred spirit in a young slave up for auction. Arin’s eyes seem to defy everything and everyone. Following her instinct, Kestrel buys him—with unexpected consequences. It’s not long before she has to hide her growing love for Arin.

But he, too, has a secret, and Kestrel quickly learns that the price she paid for a fellow human is much higher than she ever could have imagined.

Set in a richly imagined new world, The Winner’s Curse by Marie Rutkoski is a story of deadly games where everything is at stake, and the gamble is whether you will keep your head or lose your heart.


This is going to be a tough one for me to review. The good news is, this is a fantastic book. The worldbuilding, prose, characters, concepts, and themes are all stupendous. I read this novel in one sitting. I burned the midnight oil. I burned the two am oil. I ran out of oil.

Just kidding. There's no such thing as an awesome math lecture.

I gasped in all the right places, and my god if that ending wasn't genius. So why is this a difficult review for me to write? Because every other review I've read for this book spends paragraphs gushing about the one element that didn't blow me away: the romance. Which is, if you've ever read any of my other reviews, my most favoritest part of any book.

We'll start with the good, of which there is lots. I'm not sure if Rutkoski was directly influenced by the Roman Empire, but the culture of Valoria feels very Romanesque. It is a dominant, austere, logical country with a vast military that swallows up other cultures and countries around it, steals their land and their resources, and turns their people into slaves. Such is the fate for the Herrani, who find themselves conquered and enslaved and are not too thrilled about it. Rutkoski creates such a deep and fascinating political landscape for her story. I could see the marketplaces and the people. I could feel the tension between them. I understood what being a Valorian meant and what growing up in that culture would be like. Rutkoski is a master at giving you a sense of place without info dumping in the slightest.



Kestrel, our main main character, is the wealthy daughter of a Valorian general. She is brilliant, strategic, and smart. She's also and secretly kind, which is shown in the opening scene when she buys a handsome Herrani slave to save him from a worse fate (it doesn't sound like a nice thing, but it is). Of course, that slave is our other main character, Arin, and he has secrets of his own--namely that he is not the uneducated, passive laborer he claims to be.

Kestrel is my girl. She could out-logic and outmaneuver the best of men, and she does it over and over again in The Winner's Curse. In fact, one of the main themes of the novel is the concept of the pyrrhic victory, that by winning, you really lose. Every victory in TWC is somewhat of an empty victory. People gain what they wanted at great cost, and it's totally tragic and beautiful. Arin is fiery and full of revenge and passion, and while I didn't connect to him quite as much as I did Kestrel, the way Rutkoski slowly reveals his secrets and softens his personality was masterfully done.

"But Gillian!" you're probably thinking. "This sounds like a rave! What's the issue?" Well, my issue is both a minor and a major one. The good news is, I've only found one other blogger who had the same issue as I did, which means, statistically, you probably won't share my feelings. The bad news is, the weakness of this one element weakened my enjoyment of the novel as a whole, because it hit me right where my readerly heart lives: the feels. The romance.

The ship.



I'm sorry, Thor. I'm so sorry. I'll tell you. It has all the bones of a Gillian romance. Arin and Kestrels are enemies. She is a Valorian, one of the conquerors. He is Herrani, one of the conquered. She is a wealthy mistress, and he is her slave. They are both full of strategy and brilliance, and they like nothing better than to spar with their minds and their words.

And yet there was a step missing. That's all it was to me: bones. They went from mutual loathing to grudging respecty friendship-ish stuff and then BAM! They're making out in carriages. I felt like I missed a step. I needed a scene or four where I started to understand where love was coming from. Because of my lack of investment in the starcrossed romance, which is really where the bulk of the emotion lies in The Winner's Curse, I never got the soul-crushing feels I wanted.

I did not swoon, but I wanted so, so, SO BADLY to swoon. Like, I want to go back in time and pretend I swoon, because why didn't I swoon?! Is my swoonability broken? Have I lost my swoon? WHO BROKE MY SWOON?

Anyway, once the couple declares their coupley feelings for each other, the plot of the book becomes awesome. Seriously, I love every single choice Rutkoski made (besides the romance). She is cruel and tricksy and devious and really, REALLY drives home the concept of the winner's curse for both Arin and Kestrel.



As much as I adore and prefer my novels to have some kind of magic in them, it was also refreshing to read a fantasy novel entirely dependent on the actions and decisions of humans. Tables are flipped, rebellions are started, deals are made, and I cannot wait to see what happens in the next book. Hopefully, I'll be shipping it a bit more by then.

Top Ten Books I'd Love to See as a Movie or TV Show

Hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

I was so sad I missed this topic a couple of weeks ago, and couldn't resist taking it up this week. Because of my over-ambitiousness--and the fact that I made crappy little movie posters to go with each entry on this week's list--I was only able to do a seven, when in reality there are dozens of books I'd like to see adapted one day. Here are just a sampling.


1. The Lunar Chonicles by Marissa Meyer

 How amazing would movie versions of Cinder, Scarlet, and Cress be? The plots are exciting but not too complicated, the settings are lush and unusual, and I want it, please.

2. Catching Jordan by Miranda Kennealy

I would LOVE a Catching Jordan TV show. How cool would it to see more of the day to day reality of being the girl quarterback on an all-boy team, navigating the politics of sports, locker rooms, and boys. Plus, bonus Sam Henry!

3. The Song of the Lioness Quartet by Tamora Pierce

 

Tamora Pierce writes some of the best fantasy there is, and Alanna started it all. I was considering doing the Lioness' Daughter as a series or miniseries instead, but Alanna is the first, after all, and it would be seriously awesome as a Game of Thrones-style show. Plus, George and Jon. Yessss.

4. Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein



Another book I think would make a great HBO miniseries. And by great, I mean it would WRECK ME. And then after that they can do a Rose Under Fire miniseries and I can cry myself to death.

5. Poison by Bridget Zinn

 

This book is so cute and fluffy and look! The cover already looks like a movie poster! This could be an adorable children's holiday movie in theaters or on, say, ABC Family or Disney Channel.

6. The Mediator by Meg Cabot



I love nearly every single Meg Cabot novel there is, but her Mediator series just might be my fave. It would make an INCREDIBLE TV series, every episode revolving around a new ghost Suze has to handle. And every episode, she and Jesse the hot ghost would become closer and closer, and there would be SO MUCH sexual tension because hello, CW. So everybody would be gorgeous.

7. Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld

 

Okay, I did not make that poster, obviously. It's a still from Howl's Moving Castle, but how amazing would it be to see the talented people behind Studio Ghibli tackle the alternative history awesomeness of Leviathan, which is chock-full of flying machines and monsters? Very amazing, is the correct answer.

ETA: A Harry Potter miniseries

I cannot BELIEVE I left this one off! I've been hoping for ages that they'd so a really comprehensive miniseries (or regular series, really--seven seasons for seven books!)  adaptation of Harry Potter. The movies are great, and all, but for brevity's sake, there's a lot they need to leave out and characters and situations they need to change. I'm sure there are a lot of Potterheads like me who'd be very happy to watch every single word of the books transmitted directly onto the screen in real time. I would so watch a hundred plus hours of Harry Potter. I mean, really.

Review: The Unbound by Victoria Schwab

Review: The Unbound by Victoria Schwab
Goodreads 
Release date: January 28th, 2014
Publisher: Disney Hyperion
Series: #2 in The Archived series
Source: Purchased
Rating: An intense, frightening, original, romantic sequel in a series you really should be reading.



Imagine a place where the dead rest on shelves like books. Each body has a story to tell, a life seen in pictures that only Librarians can read. The dead are called Histories, and the vast realm in which they rest is the Archive.

Last summer, Mackenzie Bishop, a Keeper tasked with stopping violent Histories from escaping the Archive, almost lost her life to one. Now, as she starts her junior year at Hyde School, she's struggling to get her life back. But moving on isn't easy -- not when her dreams are haunted by what happened. She knows the past is past, knows it cannot hurt her, but it feels so real, and when her nightmares begin to creep into her waking hours, she starts to wonder if she's really safe.

Meanwhile, people are vanishing without a trace, and the only thing they seem to have in common is Mackenzie. She's sure the Archive knows more than they are letting on, but before she can prove it, she becomes the prime suspect. And unless Mac can track down the real culprit, she'll lose everything, not only her role as Keeper, but her memories, and even her life. Can Mackenzie untangle the mystery before she herself unravels?

With stunning prose and a captivating mixture of action, romance, and horror, The Unbound delves into a richly imagined world where no choice is easy and love and loss feel like two sides of the same coin.




I'm going to format this review in a slightly different way, keeping this mostly if not entirely spoiler free for the first book, The Archived (read my review here). Some cute, furry animals and I are going to tell you why The Unbound is even better than The Archived, a book I adored, by the way, but primarily I am here to urge you to read try this series if you haven't. Go out and buy and borrow from bookstores, because I MUST HAZ THIRD BOOK, OKAY?

Reasons you should be reading The Archived and The Unbound:

Mac: Our heroine, Mac, is a Keeper. She's in charge of catching the dead who escape the Archive, aka the library in which the dead are stored. How COOL is that? Mac is a hardened fighter, but she's also a lonely girl who misses her younger brother terribly, and whose parents force her to move as the family tries to escape their grief. Mac spends most nights wandering the Narrows, these creepy, shadowy corridors between the Archive and the real world, catching the Histories (aka the dead people) and returning them to the Archive.

I love Mac.  I feel what she feels, and she feels a lot, despite the armor she works hard at building and maintaining. She can also hear people's "noise", meaning their emotions and a smidge of their thoughts and aura, which is handy for catching Histories, but makes it difficult to be around real people. Mac went through a lot of trauma in The Archived at the hands of a rogue History, and in The Unbound, she's suffering from it. She's having terrible nightmares that just might be real, and even more dangerous things are afoot.

The writing: Hot damn, can Victoria Schwab turn a phrase. All of her books have this smoky, haunted atmosphere, lyrical prose, and knife-sharp emotions that are so perfectly described the reader can't help but feel them with the characters.



She focuses close on Mac and her feelings, the way her sanity is unraveling and the way she adjusts to the new fancy private school she finds herself in, but she also keeps the plot moving. She conveys the growing stakes, danger, and action.

The originality and the concept: The dead on bookshelves? Histories? The Archived? The Librarians? Crew? The creepers in charge of things who are capable of digging into your brain, torturing out your thoughts, and slicing out your memories? I've never read books like these before. I read The Unbound in one day, in one sitting. It was, admittedly, a long sitting, as I was getting my hair cut and colored and all that jazz, but still. The whole thing.

In The Unbound, the disparate story lines (Mac's new school, her feelings for Wes, the people who vanish mysteriously after they interact with Mac, Mac's troubles within the Archive) are all balanced, and they all manage to come together at the end.

The Wesley: Wesley Ayers, you beautiful enigma of a boy. Wesley is on my list of ultimate book boyfriends, and the ship in these books is a MIGHTY SHIP. If none of the above managed to entice you, then at least know this. There is extra Wesley in The Unbound, and that is a great thing. Wesley is full of secrets and humor and wit. He's brave and loyal, and he and Mac have a beautiful almost relationship thing that's full of spoilers so I can't really say. But he's funny, he wears guyliner, he's intensely attractive, and I want one, please. Thank you.

My Wesley.

The covers: I mean, look at them. They're insanely gorgeous.



So, really you have no excuse. The characters are all interesting, and you never quite know if they're trustworthy (except for Roland, who is pure awesome). In fact, there was a character in The Unbound who I could never quite figure out--in a good way. I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop, and, well, it was interesting to see how Schwab handled that element. It certainly surprised me!

Go read. Go buy. Go borrow. Go meet Mac and my sweet Wesley. I'm pretty sure you won't regret it.